The International Children's Film Festival India (ICFFI), popularly known as the Golden Elephant, was a film festival conducted for seven days November 14th (
Children’s Day) and November 20th
every two years which is aimed to bring together national and international children's cinema to young audiences in India. It was regularly held for seven days between
The festival was organized by the
Children's Film Society
Children's Film Society India (CFSI) was a nodal organization of Government of India that produced children's films and various TV programs in various Indian languages. Established in 1955, CFSI functioned under the Ministry of Information and ...
which was formed in 1955 and which was chaired by
Mukesh Khanna
Mukesh Khanna (born 23 June 1958) is an Indian actor, talk show host and producer who works in Hindi language films and television shows. He is best known for his portrayal of Shaktimaan, the superhero character in ''Shaktimaan'' (1997–2005) ...
until the Society merged with the
National Film Development Corporation of India
The National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) based in Mumbai is the central agency established in 1975, to encourage high quality Indian cinema. It functions in areas of film financing, production and distribution and under Ministr ...
in 2022.
History
The 19th festival took place from November 14 through November 20, 2015. Indian films won nine awards, the largest for any country, but the overall winner was the Russian film ''Celestial Camel'' directed by Irina Plisko and Mikhail Plisko.
The 20th edition of the festival took place from 8 to 14 November 2017 in Hyderabad. The festival had four competition sections: International Live Action, Asian Panorama, International Animation and Little Directors, where international and national
films
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
compete for the prestigious Golden Elephant Trophies and cash awards. The festival also screened non-competition sections including Children's World that showcased films from across the world. The theme for the festival was “Digital India” – keeping in touch with the digital revolution now touching children’s lives and also staying abreast with the times. This edition received the highest number of entries — 1,204 from 80 countries. In 2013, there were 894 from 48. Information and Broadcasting Minister
Arun Jaitley
Arun Jaitley (28 December 1952 – 24 August 2019) was an Indian politician and attorney. A member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Jaitley served as the Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs of the Government of India from 2014 to 2019. Jait ...
unveiled a mobile app for the festival on the inaugural day. The arts, crafts and cultural village of Shilparamam in
Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...
was a set for screenings of children's movies in multiple venues in the city.
According to the ''Times of India'', the 20th festival may have been its last. The 2019 festival was supposedly canceled because it conflicted with the Telegana state elections.
It was then postponed in 2020 and 2021 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in India
The COVID-19 pandemic in India is a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). As of , according to Indian government figures, India has the second-highest n ...
.
In 2022, the Children's Society merged with the National Film Development Corporation which did not respond to requests about the 21st festival.
Awards
Awards for films in Competition Little Directors
*A Golden Elephant trophy for Best Little Director
*A Golden Plaque for Second Best Little Director
*A Golden Elephant trophy for Best Little Director – Special Mention by Jury
Awards for films in Competition International Animation
*A Golden Elephant trophy for Best Animation
*A Golden plaque for Second Best Animation
*A Golden Elephant trophy for Best Animation, Children's Jury
Awards for films in Competition International Live Action
*A Golden Elephant trophy for Best Live Action
*A Golden plaque for Second Best Live Action
*A Golden Elephant trophy for Best Live Action Director
*A Golden Elephant trophy for Best Live Action Screenplay
*A Golden Elephant trophy for Best Live Action, Children's Jury
Awards for films in Competition Asian Panorama
*A Golden Elephant trophy for Best Asian Panorama
*A Golden plaque for Second Best Asian Panorama
*A Golden Elephant trophy for Best Asian Panorama Children's Jury
References
External link
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Golden Elephant, The
Film festivals in India
Mass media in Hyderabad, India
Youth in India